


Fire and Ice

by HadesGhostGirl



Series: Avatar but with time travel and more fire [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canonical Character Death, Firebender Sokka (Avatar), Zukka Endgame
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-29
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:27:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24982318
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HadesGhostGirl/pseuds/HadesGhostGirl
Summary: sokka's a firebender. That is all.This fic is a set of short scenes that sokka being a firedbender changes in each episode of book 1.
Relationships: Hakoda/Kya (Avatar)
Series: Avatar but with time travel and more fire [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817353
Comments: 20
Kudos: 205





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> this is entirely based on a post on my tumblr

"Sokka you stinky butt face!" Katara yelled at her brother. "GIVE. IT. BACK." As her daughter yelled, Kya watched the wall of their igloo refreeze.

"No you're a stinky butt face!" Sokka yelled back. "It's mine Katara!" And the wall melted again.

"No it isn't!"

"Yes it is!"

As thd children fought over the small penguin toy the wall continued it's cycle, melt and freeze. Kya looked at Hakoda. "We have ourselves a pair of benders," she told him.

Hakoda smiled and turned his eyes back to their steaming children. "But what kind?"

Kya sighes. "That's the question. You take Sokka, I'll take Katara."

"You always take Katara," Hakoda grumbled. With an over dramatic sigh he made his way over to the still fighting children. Kya followed, shaking her head fondly.

Kya grabbed Katara under her arms and lifted her high. The little girl giggled as her mother threw her into the air to spin her around. The fight immediately forgotten.

Hakoda had grabbed Sokka by the shoulders and spun him around. Kya chuckled as she saw her 4 year old son try and match the warriors serious faces.

Hakods also chuckled, poking his son in the cheek. Sokka's concentration broke and he laughed. Kya gave her boys a fond look before carrying Katara outside.

"Katara baby," Kya said as she set Katara's tiny booted feet down in the snow. "Can you make the water move?"

Katara frowned at her. "Moon moves the water," she said, pointing towards the bright sky above them.

Kya grabbed Katara's little hand in hers and explained to her daughter. "Yes baby, the moon moves the water. The moon was the first waterbender. Tui pulled La and La pushed back. The first human waterbenders learnt how to waterbend by copying this motion." Kya lifted her hands, letting Katara's fall, and started to move her arms in an aproximation of the ocean. Katara copied the motion. Slowly, the frozen water on the ground lifted in tendrils of liquid.

"Mommy look I did!" 

Kya smiled at her daughter.

-

"Alright little man can you move this water?" Hakoda said as he set a bowl of water down in front of Sokka.

"Move the water?" Sokka asked, nudging the bowl with the toe of his boot. "Why?"

"Can you just try for me?" Hakoda pushed the bowl a little closer to Sokka.

"But isn't that what the sun does?" Sokka asked, nudging the bowl again. "Like now how there isn't as much ice?"

Hakoda tapped Sokka on the nose. "Okay so do what the sun does then."

Sokka pulled one of his gloves off and stuck his hand in the water. Steam started rising from the bowl pretty quickly and Hakoda grinned. Then the wooden bowl caught fire. "Okay Sokka stop," Hakoda all but yelled, he managed to keep himself calm enough to pull his son away from the burning bowl and kick it into a pile of snow.

"Did I do it right?" Sokka asked, looking up at his dad from his arms.

"You did perfect Sokka."

"Yeah?" Sokka wrapped his arms around as much of his dad as he could.

-

Five years later, Sokka was sat in a tent within the village wall. "Gran-Gran can't I go play with Katara? We were gonna go penguin sledging."

Kanna, sat opposite Sokka, took in a deep breath and released it. "Do your breathing exercises for a little longer, my little fire bender, and then you can go play with your sister."

Sokka pouted for a moment but when Kanna took in her next deep breath he followed suit. "In for five," Kanna said as she took in a deep breath. "Out for five." And she released it.

With each breath Sokka felt his own temperature settling. Earlier, whilst mid snowball fight with Katara, he had set fire to his coats. Katara had dump snow on him not to put the fire out but to laugh at him as steam billowed. Their Dad had found them and sent Sokka to the tent. "Why do I have to do this?"

"Would you rather set fire to your coats again?"

Sokka blushed. "I could be helping the tribe or keeping watch or anything but I have to do breathing exercises and school work."

Kanna smiled at her grandson. "Sokka when was the last time you slept?"

"Errr..." Sokka started counting on his fingers.

"I'll tell you when," Kanna interrupted. "It was the last time the sun set." She pointed towards the flap of the tent where the daylight had been shining for 3 months.

"Oh."

"Sokka, this is a normal thing for firebenders," Kanna explained. "You rise with the sun. Your power is strongest when exposed to daylight for long periods."

"Is that also why I can't stay awake during winter?"

Kanna nodded. "Polar night is as bad for you as a new moon is for your sister," she explained. "Though polar night does last longer."

"What does this have to do with breathing?" Sokka asked, crossing his arms and pouting again.

Kanna leant across the space between them and gently prised her grandson's hands into her own. "Firebending comes from the breath," she told him. "Control your breath and you control your fire, no matter how strong it is."

Sokka continued his breathing and felt his inner fire settle. But then everything changed. There was screaming. A fire navy vessel. Katara was yelling. Sokka was thrashing. "LET ME GO!" He yelled.

Kanna held her grandson tightly even as his temperature rose. She held him tight as he kicked. She held him tight as tiny flames locked at his fingers. She held him tight as he cried against her.

And when Katara and Hakoda found them later, she held them tight too.


	2. The boy in the iceberg

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aang emerges from his 100 year sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this fic is just going to be short variations on scenes. Sometimes there'll be more than one per episode but they will all be in the chapter for that episode.

Sokka pulled his outer coat closer as he and Katara floated in between the icebergs. He held a spear in one hand as he leant over the edge of their canoe. There was a shadow just off the side and he was going to- SPLOOSH!

"Katara!" Sokka yelled as steam rose around him. "I knew I should've left you and your magic water back at home."

"It's not magic it's-"

"Yeah I know. A sacred art special to our people," Sokka repeated the phrase bitterly. "Didn't stop me from being able to do this did it?" And a small fire ball formed in his hand.

Then, because neither of them were paying any attention to the water, they got caught in a rapid between a bunch of different ice flows. They were both screaming. Sokka tried to angle them correctly so they wouldn't get squished between icebergs. Katara yelled unhelpfully. "Go left!"

Sokka tried to go left but the current pulled them to the right.

"No your other left!"

And that's how they came to crash into an ice flow. The boat was gone.

"This is why women aren't warriors," Sokka grumbled, he could feel the cold air around him more the angrier he got. Steam rose from his feet.

Katara turned on him then. "You are the most immature-" she ranted at him. Waving her arms causing waves. The water became wildly choppy and the ice they stood on rocked.

"Erm Katara?" Sokka tentatively asked. She continued to yell at him. He could feel the warm air coming off his body being whipped up in her frenzied movements. "KATARA STOP!" blasts of fire leapt from his fingers into the maelstrom of swirling water around them as chunks of ice crashed down from the iceberg behind Katara. Finally, she stopped.

"Did I do that?" She asked. Glowing eyes stared out at them from within the absuredly round iceberg. They blinked. "He's alive!"

"Katara!" Sokks chased after his sister as she ran towards the glowing eyes. Air rushed out from a gaping hole in the iceberg and a boy, definitely younger than Katara, collapsed towards them.

"Come closer," the boy whispered. Sokka felt how hot the air around him was, which probably meant he was sinking. He looked down. Yep ice was melting. He focused on his breathing, trying to bring his temperature down. Katara leant closer to the boy. "Closer," he whispered again. Katara leant in. "Do you want to go penguin sledging with me?" He yelled as he bounced out of Katara's arms.


	3. The Avatar Returns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> episode 2 brings Sokka closer to actively using his firebending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So writing this fic has me going back through each episode just watching Sokka's scenes as I'm rewatching the show as a whole. I'm up to book 2 of the whole show so it's a little odd watching just sokka scenes from book 1 and then some of book 2.

Aang had left. They were facing down a Fire Nation ship and Sokka had no idea what he was doing.

The ship, in all it's black metal and red fabric, was terrifying. It came to a sharp point at the front. Designed for breaking through ice from the look of it. Sokka looked down at the wall of ice he was stood on as the hulking black shape plowed straight through the sheet ice.

"Sokka get down!" He heard Katara yell but it was too late. The collapsing wall took him down to ground level as the front of the Fire Navy ship opened and a soldier walked out.

Sokka charged. The soldier kicked him away with barely a thought. He landed, face first, in the pile of snow that used to be the wall. "Where are you hiding him?" the soldier said and Sokka realised that this Fire Nation soldier wasn't much older than he was. Then he heard gasps. "He'd be about this age. Master of all elements." There was the crackling of fire and Sokka threw himself upwards. "I know your hiding him."He grabbed his club and rushed the soldier. 

Again, Sokka found himself in the snow. This time, as he hit the snow it melted. A blast of fire shot towards him and he ducked. He jumped up, feeling his inner fire rage, and threw his boomerang. The spark of fire that flickered along the edge gave pause to the soldier and he only barely managed to duck it.

"Ha!" 

One of the kids- the warriors threw him a spear. "Show no fear," he said. Sokka charged again.

The soldier snapped the spear with his forearms. Grabbed the last piece and One. Two. Three quick jabs and Sokka over balanced. 

But then the boomerang came back around and smacked him in the back of the head. The fire had gone out by then. The soldier growled as he formed two daggers of fire in his hands.

Sokka glared up at him. An inexperienced flame danced across his fingers.

Before either firebender could do anything, Aang came skiding into the village on a penguin.

-

Sokka reached to grab Aang's staff and that same soldier grabbed the other end. He gasped as the other boy growled. But Sokka just poked him in the head three times. The soldier lost his grip and fell. "Ha, that's from the Water Tribe!" He yelled over the side of the boat.

But then, as he ran back towards Aang and Appa, Katara froze his feet in place. "Katara!" He yelled as he started hacking at the ice with his boomerang. He also attempted to heat his feet to melt the ice from the inside.

"Hurry up Sokka!" Katara yelled after she froze the Fire Nation troops. 

Sokka grumbled. "I was supposed to be the guy with the boomerang. I didn't ask for all this flying and magic." The slightly melted ice gave way on his next walk and he ran for Appa, yelling "Yip yip!" As he went.


	4. The Southern Air Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka may or may not be partially responsible for Aang's breakdown this time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk if all of what i wrote for this episode was necessary but we're starting to see Sokka's insecurities.

"Hey, who ate all my blubbered seal jerky?"

Aang turned around. "Oh that was food," he said giving Sokka an apologetic look. "I used it to start the campfire last night. Sorry."

"You what?" Sokka yelled. One of his gloves caught on fire. "I could've done that!"

"You mean like you just did with your glove?" Katara asked, giggling.

Sokka yelped and batted his other hand against it. "No wonder the flames smelt so good."

-

Airball was a mistake. Sokka may have been a bender, but I most definitely was not an airbender. Aang sent the wooden ball ricocheting between the posts and Sokka attempted to be ready for it. Once again, the ball slammed into his stomach with force and knocked him through the spinning goal.

"Oof," he grunted as he landed on his back in a steaming pile of snow.

Up on the pilars Aang called out the scores. "Aang 7. Sokka 0."

Sokka pulled himself out of the rapidly melting snow and grumbled. "Making him feel better is putting me in a world of hurt." Then he saw it. A rusted, slightly charred Fire Nation helmet. It had been buried in the snow but Sokka's rising core temperature had melted a good chunk of that and revealed not only the helmet but ashy burn marks on the cliff side. "Katara," he whispered, beckoning her forwards as he scrambled through the snow. "Check this out."

"Fire Nation," she whispered back and Sokka couldn't read the emotion on her face or in her voice.

"We should tell him," Sokka said. His own voice just as unreadable.

Katara turned. "Aang," she called. "There's something you need to see."

Aang, spinning the hollow wooden ball above his head, came running. "Okay."

Katara looked down at Sokka and he saw the uncertainty in her eyes. That did not prepare him for the sudden pile of snow his sister buried him in.

"What is it?" Sokka heard Aang say.

"Just this waterbending move I've been practicing," his sister explained. "I use it when Sokka sets himself on fire."

The snow evaporated off of Sokka and he growled. "I'm gonna get you for that," he grumbled.

"That's useful," Aang said. "Sokka does seem to set himself on fire a lot. But enough practicing, we have a whole temple to see." And he walked off.

Sokka stood up. Steam rising from his damp clothes. "You know you can't protect him forever," he told his sister.

She didn't answer as she followed the happy airbender.

-

"Katara firebenders we're here," Sokka said, gesturing to faded burn marks on the walls. "You can't pretend they weren't."

"Firebenders are here," Katara said, pointedly ignoring Sokka's point. "Just one though."

Sokka glared at her. "You know what I meant."

Katara looked down. "Yes, I know," she said quietly, as the followed Aang. "But I'm going to try, for Aang's sake. If he finds out that the Fire Nation invaded his home, he'd be devastated."

"Hey guys," Aang called, interrupting before Sokka could speak. "There's someone I want you to meet." He gestured to a statue.

"Who's that?"

"Monk Gyatso, he taught me everything I know," Aang said as he turned back towards the statue. He bowed.

"You must miss him," Katara said as she placed her hand comfortingly on Aang's shoulder.

Sokka shivered in his one coat. It was warmer here than in his village but only barely. How did airbenders wear such thin robes all the time?

Aang ducked out from under Katara's hand. "Yeah," he said as he started walking away.

"Where are you going?"

"The Air Temple Sanctuary," Aang told them. "There's someone I'm ready to meet."

Katara turned back towards Sokka. He shrugged.

-

Inside the sanctuary it was dark and filled with statues. "Statues!?" Sokka yelled. "Where's all the meat?" He got the feeling his sister and Aang were ignoring him.

"Who are all these people?" Katara asked.

"I'm not sure," Aang said. "But that ones an airbender."

"And this ones a waterbender," Katara explained. "There lined up in a pattern. Air, water, earth, and fire." She pointed at corresponding statues.

"That's the Avatar cycle," Aang realised.

"Of course, they're Avatars. All these people are your past lives, Aang."

"Wow, there're so many."

"Past lives?" Sokka grumbled. "Katara you really believe in that stuff?"

"It's true, when the Avatar dies he's reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle." But Sokka wasn't listening, he was watching Aang. The younger boy had walked up to one statue in particular. Sokka pointed at him. Katara looked.

"Aang, snap out of it," she said as she shook him. He wobbled and gasped, but continued staring at the statue. "Who is that?"

"That's Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me."

Sokka walked up behind them. " You were a firebender? No wonder I didn't trust you when we first met."

"Says the firebender," Katara said as she turned towards him crossing his arms. She scowled. Sokka glared right back. She turned back to Aang. "There's no writing, how do you know his name?"

-

When Sokka caught up to Aang he found him crying. "I wasn't really gonna eat the lemur," he said as he came up behind the crying airbender. But then he saw what had made Aang cry. "Oh man. Come on Aang let's get out of here." But rather than respond, Aang's eyes and tattoos started glowing.

Wind whipped and whistled around the small enclosed building as Aang stood up. "Aang come on!" Sokka yelled over the noise. "Snap out of it!" But he was blown off his feet. He yelled as he was blasted backwards and the roof of the building blew off. A tornado whirled around the angry Avatar as Katara scrambled up next to Sokka.

"What happened?" She yelled.

"He found out firebenders killed Gyatso," Sokka yelled back. "I tried to help but I think I made it worse."

"It's his Avatar spirit. He must have triggered it," Katara explained, still yelling. "I'm gonna try and calm him down."

"Better you than me," Sokka yelled after her as she pushed through the wind. He meant for it to be a joke, but it was too real. She would have far more look than he would. Aang's reaction probably wouldn't have gotten so violent if Sokka wasn't a firebender. Sokka's inner fire whipped with the wind. 

"Aang," Katara yeleld over the wind. "I know you're upset and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom." And there was another one that probably would've gone better if it wasn't for this damn fire. "Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone but you still have a family. Sokka and I," Katara said, and suddenly her words weren't just aimed at Aang. The wind had blown her back to be right next to him so maybe she could feel the heat radiating off of him from his own inner turmoil. His eyes focused on her. "We're your family now."

Miraculously, Aang's form lowered. The winds died down. Sokka's inner fire settled. Aang's feet touched the ground and the siblings walked up to either side of him. Sokka spoke clearly, his self hatred abated for the moment as he pushed himself into the role of big brother. "Katara and I aren't gonna let anything happen to you. Promise." And the glow began to fade. Aang collapsed towards Katara.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.


	5. The Warriors of Kyoshi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka meets Suki and it goes even worse than if he was just sexist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> suki is so fun to write!

Katara was sewing up a burn hole in Sokka's pants as he went over their map. "You have no idea where we're going do you?"

Aang twisted around on Appa's head. "I know it's near water."

Sokka glared at the empty ocean around them. "I guess we're getting close then." The edges of the map, where he was holding it, had started to smoke. "Aah," Sokka yelped as he dropped it. When Sokka looked over at his sister, Aang was trying to show her some trick. "Stop bugging her airhead," he said waving one hand as he tamped down the embers on the map. "You need to give girls space when they do their sewing."

Katara paused and glared at hef brother. "What does me being a girl have to do with sewing?" She said, with ice in her voice.

"Simple," Sokka stated, rolling up the map and waving one hand about vaguely. "Girls are better at fixing 0ants than guys, and guys are better at hunting, fighting and stuff like that." He waved the rolled up map. "It's the natural order of things."

Katara grinned a wide, fake smile and stretched out her brother's pants. "All done with your pants," she said, eyes wild. "And look what a great job I did!" She thre them at him and it was pure luck that they didn't go flying off into the water below.

"Wait Katara!" Sokka yelled as he pulled the pants off his head. "I was just kidding! I can't wear these!" He stuck his hand through the hole and felt more than saw the tiny, stressed flames flicker along his fingers. "Katars please!"

"Relax Sokka," Aang said, yanking on Appa's reins to pull him down. "Where we're going you won't need any pants!"

-

"What was that thing?"

"I don't know."

Sokka pushed himself up from the pile of snow he found himself in again. Steam billowing from his thick furs. "Well let's not stick around long enough to find out," he said. "It's timd to hit the ro-" But they were ambushed before he could finish. He threw his hands up ready to shoot fire but he was tied up before he could do anything. Katara, Aang and Momo were also grabbed. They were tossed to the floor, blindfolded. Sokka could sort of feel the heat of multiple people crowding around them. "Or we could stay awhile," he suggested, weakly.

-

Sokka angrily marched up to the hut that the Kyoshi Warriors used for training. "Can't believe I got beat by a bunch of girls!" He grumbled under his breath. He walked up to the door and said, "Sorry ladies, didn't mean to interupt your dance lesson. I was looking for somewhere I could get a little workout." He started stretching. Not at all trying to impress the group of girls that had beat him up.

The leader stopped their session and turned to him. "Well your in the right place," she said, closing her fans. "Sorry about yesterday. I didn't know you were friends of the Avatar."

Sokka kept stretching. His inner fire flared and he choked on smoke. "It's alright," he said coughing, trying to mask the smoke coming from his mouth. "I mean normally I'd hold a grudge-" 

Before he could continue he had a fan st his throat. "You're a firebender!" The leader said.

Sokka squeaked. His hands came up. "I'm from the Southern Water Tribe I promise!"

The leader flipped her fan closed and shoved him over. "How do we know you're telling the truth?"

Sokka stuttered. 

"For all we know you could be a big strong fire nation man pretending to be from the water tribe to trick us," she said, throwing her fan down and pinning his sleeve to the ground. Sokka squeaked again.

"KATARA!" He yelled.

Katara came running, so did Aang. "Wow, what's going on here?" Aang said, lifting his hands ad Katara got into a ready stance.

"You're friend is a firebender!" The Kyoshi leader exclaimed.

"Yeah, my brother has been since we were kids," Katara said. "He's not very good at keeping that fact under wraps." Katara pulled water from her water skin and, as the only thing she seemed capable of doing with any consistency, dumped water onto Sokka.

"Thank you," he muttered, having felt the fire flickering across his skin starting to make his clothes smoke. "Just what I always wanted, pinned to the ground, sopping wet and smelling of smoke."

The Kyoshi warriors seemed confused by Katara's display. "You're mixed Nation?"

"Sort of?" Sokka said, attempting to pull the fan out of the floor. "Gran Gran was. I've never thought of it that much."

"We're from the Southern Water Tribe," Katara said, holding a ready stance with her water skin as if she was a competent waterbender.

"I believe you," The leader said. She then bent down to pull out her fan from Sokka's sleeve.

-

Later that day, after the whole firebender thing was cleared up, Sokka returned to the training hut. "Hey, uk, Suki?" He asked.

The warriors stopped. Suki stepped away from her girls. "Hoping for another dance lesson?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, the red makeup making the movement more pronounced.

Sokka stumbled over his words. "Well, uh let me explain," he said, posture and body language displaying his nerves even clearer than his stuttering.

"Spit it out," Suki demanded. "What do you want?"

Sokka, after a brief pause, knelt before her. "I would be honoured, if you would teach me."

"Even if I'm a girl?" Suki asked, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry if I insulted you, I was wrong," he said, keeping his eyes on the floor.

"We normally don't teach outsiders," Suki said, standing still and poised above him. "And definitely not firebenders, let alone boys."

"Please make an exception," Sokka pleaded, bowing from his kneeling position. "I won't let you down."

"Alright, but you'll have to follow all of our traditions."

"Of course."

"And I mean all of them."

The next thing Sokka knew, he was wearing a dress. The war piant he was fine with, the dress was something else. "I hope this thing is fire proof," he muttered. "Do I really have to wear this?" He said, louder and more towards Suki. "It feels a little, girly."

"It's a warrior's uniform!" And then Suki went on to explain each aspect of the uniform. Sokka was beginning to feel more comfortable in it. But then Aang walked past.

"Nice dress Sokka!" He called. Sokka could feel the smoke rising from him. Suki patted the flames out with her fans.

-

And just as things were starting to feel normal, or as normal as their lives could be with the Avatar, that soldier, Zuko, showed up again. This time he had a battalion of rhino mounted soldiers with him. 

Suki lead the charge. Ahe got knocked down quickly and Sokka ran in when he saw a fire blast heading towards her. He used his fan to deflect the blow and faced the soldier head on. Another warrior knocked him from his mount and they cornered him. He twisted into a move, that reminded Sokka of airbending, and blasted fire in a circle. The girls dovd out of the way but Sokka held his ground. Deflecting the fire with a move he'd seen Katara do when she was in the splash zone.

His pride at having done that was short lived as Zuko hooked one pointy shoe behind his leg and pulled Sokka over. He knocked his head on something.

The fight moved on around them and suddenly Katara was yelling that they needed to leave. "Zuko will follow us!"

Sokka pulled Suki behind a building. "There's no time for goodbyes!" She exclaimed.

"Then how about I'm sorry?" Sokka asked. "I treated you like a girl when I should've treated you like a warrior."

Suki smiled at him. She kissed him on the cheek. "I am a warrior, but I'm also a girl," she told him. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry too. I treated you like a firebender when I should've treated you like a water tribesman."

Sokka grinned. "I'm both of those things," he said. "Dangit, it sounded cooler when you said it!"

She laughed. "Go! We'll hold them off!"


	6. The King of Omashu

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> a couple scenes change in Omashu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I don't think much would change about Omashu with Sokka being a firebender not a lot happens with him here.

They walked up to the edge of a cliff over looking "The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!" Aang declared with his arms spread wide. There was a thin walk way leading up to the three peaked, walled City. Sokka's eyes widened. "I used to always come here to visit my friend Bumi."

"Wow!" Katara's eyes were just as wide as Sokka's. "We don't have cities like this in the South Pole."

"They have buildings here that don't melt!" Sokka said, his voice dream like.

"And whose fault is that?" Katara asked, folding her arms and smirking at her brother.

"Hey don't blame me," Sokka defended, waving one hand at himself and the other at the sun. "Blame Agni."

"Was it Agni that set fire to your tent last night?"

Aang interupted their argument before if could get going. "Well let's go slow pokes," he said, crouching as he turned towards them. "The real fun is inside the city!" And he flew off.

-

"One ride," Aang said from the front of the mail cart. "Then we're off to the North Pole, Airbenders honour."

"Isn't honour a Fire Nation thing?" Sokka asked.

Katara ignored him. "This sounded like fun at first," she said as they rocked on thd precipice of the shoot. "But now that I'm here I'm starting to have second thou-" the last word got dragged into a scream as Aang rocked them over the lip and down the shoot.

As they plummeted down the steep slide, Sokka and Katara gripped tight to each other. Steam billowed behind them as Sokka accidentally evaporated most of Katara's water. 

A cart full of spears skid up next to them and then into their shoot and suddenly, Aang wasn't having fun. Sokka ducked as it came up right behind them, Katara leaning away. The fur on Sokka's had caught fire. Aang yelled something that was lost in the rushing wind and panic. He rocked them out of the shoot. The wind from the free fall put out Sokka's fire, although his inner flame was in turmoil. They landed on a roof and skidded through an Earth Kingdom army training session.

At the bottom of the shoot, they shattered a cabbage cart. Guards came quickly to the disturbance and they got taken to the King.

-

When the creeping crystal was put onto Sokka's finger he yelled "Aah, it's already creeping!" And tried to yank it off. When that didn't work, he tried to heat it. There was a smell like burning sugar but nothing really happened.

As the mad King's trials went on, Sokka and Katara became more and more encased in crystal. Sokka less than Katara, so he reasoned that heat slowed it down. After noticing that fact, he tried to keep his temperature as high as possible.

When the genomite was removed and Bumi revealed it was rock candy Sokka said, "Oh that explains the sugar smell."


	7. Imprisoned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka learns a firebending move. That doesn't keep him from setting himself on fire.

"An earthbender," Katara gaspee as they hid behind a log.

"Let's go meet him!" Aang exclaimed, usual huge grin on his face.

"He looks dangerous, so we should approach cautiously," Sokka reasoned. Before he could finish, Katara had hopped over the log and ran forward.

"Hello there!" She yelled with her hands up to her mouth. Smoke drifted from Sokka's nostrils. Aang bent the air to blow the smoke away. "I'm Katara! What's your name?"

The earthbender flinched as he heard her yell. He turned midway through lifting a rock and his eyes widened as he saw them. With a boom, he dropped the rock and ran. A rock slide blocked them from following him as he fled.

"Nice to meet you!" Aang yelled over the sound of falling rocks.

-

"Katara?" Sokka asked as she walked away. "Aang I think Katara has seen something come on."

They followed her as she opened a door to a warm little shop. "Hey you're that kid," she said, indicating the boy they had seen. "Why'd you run away before?"

"You must have me confused with some other kid." Was his answer, but Sokka noticed how tense he had gotten.

"No she doesn't," Aang said as he walked up behind Katara. "We saw you earthbending." At that word the tension became palpable. Sokka got dragged into the shop. The shutters were pulled closed and the door was slammed shut.

"They saw you doing what?" The mother demanded, as she leant against the shutters.

"They're crazy mom," they boy said, qaving his arms st them. "Look at how their dressed."

Aang adjusted his hat. Sokka picked at a burn hole in his sleeve. Katara tightened the tie belt around her waist. "Are we dressed crazy?" Sokka whispered. Aang shrugged.

"You know how dangerous that is!" The mother exclaimed, barely louder than a whisper. "You know what would happen if they caught you earthbending!" She stepped towards her son. Her worry clear not only in her voice but the way her eyes flicked from her son to the three of them and then back to her son or the door. 

"Open up!" A voice yelled accompanied by a banging at the door. Everyone flinched. Sokka immediately went on high alert.

He twisted the shutters open and peaked between the slats. Outside he saw pointed armour and spears. "Fire Nation!" He whispered in a panic, turning back towards the group. "Act natural!"

The mother opened the door as they all took up 'natural poses'. "What do you want?" She demanded of the officer at her door. "I've already paid you this week."

He grinned. "The tax just doubled. And we wouldn't want an accident, would we?" he said as he twisted his hands to make a ball of fire. The fireball expanded in his hands. Sokka watched the motions. The way the man moved his hands. The way the fire never left the expanse. "Fire can sometimes be so hard to control." Sokka flinched.

-

"It was so brave of Haru to use his bending to help that old man," Katara said as they all were finally settling down to sleep. She held a lamp in her lap and Sokka could feel it's flame burning.

"You must have really inspired him," Aang said from were he sprawled across Appa's head.

"Everyone should get some sleep we're leaving at dawn," Sokka interupted, rolling over to try and make a point.

"Dawn?" Katara exclaimed. "Can't we sleep in for once?"

Sokka craned his neck to look at her. "Absolutely not. This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops. If they discover your hear Aang, we'll be eating fireballs for breakfast." He lay back down and growled "Goodnight."

"I'd rather be eating fireballs than nuts," Katara teased.

Sokka took a deep breath. "Is that so?" He asked. He made the lamp flare. Katara screeched. The light went out completely.

"That was so not funny Sokka!"

"Goodnight!"

-

The plan to get Katara arrested for earthbending was all set. They just needed something to draw the Fire Nation troops up to the vent. "Aang you remember your cue?" Katara called to him.

"Yeah yeah, I know."

"Alright, let's do this," Sokka said as he and Katara prepared. "You Earth Kingdom scum!" He pantomimed.

"Who are you calling scum, firebender?" Katara growled, there was real anger in her voice and Sokka tried to not let that get to him. "The Fire Nation is the scum around here!"

The troops were coming now.

"I'll teach you a lesson," Sokka yelled as he copied the motions from the fire ball yesterday. He created the biggest fireball he had ever made and barely kept himself under control.

"I'll beat you!" Katara shouted in the most overdramatic voice Sokka had ever heard. "EARTHBENDING STYLE!" Nothing happened. "I said EARTHBENDING STYLE!" The boulder lifted on a strong current of air.

"That lemur," said one of the soldiers, pointing beneath the floating boulder. "It's earthbending!"

Sokka dropped his fireball, letting it dissipate. "No you idiot, it's the girl!"

"Oh," the soldier said. "Of course. Arrest her!"

-

During the fight on the prison rig, Sokka felt disadvantaged. Katara had the entire ocean, the earthbenders had the coal, Aang had both the ocean and the air. But Sokka? If he used his bending the earthbdenders were likely to turn on him. He kept using his club and his boomerang.

But then a firebalst came at him. Instinct took over and he pulled his arms up creating a wave of his own fire to block the blast. "Nice move Sokka," Aang said as he bounced past.

Sokka smiled. But then he noticed his wrappings were on fire. "Great," he grumbled as he patted them out. "I guess fire can be hard to control."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay, I was catching a Daughter's Perspective up with this.


	8. The Spirit World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sokka feels truly cold for the first time in his life

When they landed in the burnt forest, the scar of soot and ash violently torn through the peaceful landscape, Sokka felt an inexplicable guilt. "Listen," he whispered, incapable of speaking any louder. "It's so quiet. There's no life anywhere."

"Aang," Katara asked, also reverently quiet. "Are you okay?"

Sokka knelt down and examined the tracks on the ground. Large clawed animal tracks and smaller, regimented foot prints. "Fire Nation!" He exclaimed, anger deep in his chest causing his inner fire to flare. Smoke billowed from his mouth and nostrils. He had to concentrate hard on deep breaths to keep from releasing actual flames, that was the last thing this place needed. More fire. "Those evil savages make me sick! They have no respect for anything or-"

Katara turned towards him with a finger to her lips.

"What I'm not allowed to be angry?" She just pointed at Aang.

The airbender's bright orange and yellow robes contrasted so strongly with the ashen landscape that he almost looked like fire. His shoulders slumped forwards and Sokka suddenly realised how small Aang was. He dropped to his knees and a cloud of ash poofed up around him. "Why would anyone do this?" He said, even quieter than either Sokka or Katara had been. "How could I let this happen?"

Katara took a step towards the distressed Avatar. "Aang," she said, still quiet. "You didn't let this happen. It has nothing to do with you."

"Yes it does," Aang declared, voice determined despite it's quiet. Sokka couldn't help but feel some of the weight his friend carried. He may not be Fire Nation, but firebenders had done this. And he was a firebender. "It's the Avatar's job to protect nature. But I don't know how to do my job."

"That's why we're going to the North Pole," Katara reasoned.

"Eventually," Sokka muttered. If it was up to him, they'd be at their sister tribe by now. Despite how bad the weather up there would be for him. For the first time in his life he wasn't shivering. He wasn't awake for days, weeks, months on end. Or the opposite. He almost felt like a human being.

Katara glared at him. "To find you a teacher," she finished.

Aang turned, looking over his shoulder at her. "Yeah," he said, frustration and something bordering on anger colouring his words. "A waterbending teacher, but there's no one who can teach me how to be the Avatar. Monk Gyatso said that Avatar Roku would help me."

"The Avatar before you?" He asked. "He died over a hundred years ago. How're you supposed to talk to him?"

"I don't know."

-

Sokka had no idea where he was. He had no idea how much time had passed. He had no idea what was going on. But what was worse than not knowing was the empty feeling in his gut. For the first time in his life, he truly felt the cold. He'd thought the South Pold had been bad but this? This was a deep cold. A cold that chilled the blood in his veins and froze his heart. A cold that seeped into his lungs and cooled his every breath. 

His inner fire was gone.

But then, with the sudden force of an explosion, it was back. For a moment he stood still and just appreciated how warm he felt. His every breath didn't stab him with icicles, his heart pumped warmth through his body. Sokka stepped forward. He pushed his way through the bamboo and found himself stumbling into his sister's arms. "What happened?" He asked. "I was so cold."

"You've been trapped in the spirit world for 24 hours," Katara told him. "How do you feel?"

"Like I really need to go pee," he said, suddenly aware how full his bladder was. He squeezed his sister, feeling her warmth deep within himself, before stepping away and going to find somewhere to relieve himself.


	9. The Temple

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gaang enter the temple.

The Temple of the Avatar was a dark and red place. Sokka didn't expect anything different from a Fire Nation temple.

"Follow me!" Aang yelled as he skidded past them.

"Do you know where your going?" Sokka yelled back.

"Nope." Aang disappeared around a corner. "Wrong way!" He yelled as he sprinted back the way they had come.

"Come back!" Called the fire sage.

They didn't listen. They ran. Darting around corners and sprinting down hallways. Until they came to a dead end. They backed up as far as they could. Aang spread his hands, ready to airbend. Katara stood in a ready pose, popping the cap off her water skin. Sokka twisted his hands down and attempted the fire daggers Zuko had threatened him with, he ended up just having unstable fire balls but that would do.

"I don't want to fight you. I'm a friend," said the sage.

Sokka twisted his flames into one ball. "Firebenders aren't our friends," he growled. He ignored the smirk Katara shot at him. Not the time.

But then the sage knelt on the floor at Aang's feet. "I know why you're here, Avatar," he said.

"You do?" Aang asked, dropping his hands to his sides.

"Yes, you wish to speak to Avatar Roku," he explained. "I can take you to him."

"How?"

Rather than answer, the sage twisted a lamp on the wall revealing a small hole. He pressed his hand to the hole and bent fire into it. This caused a secret passage to open. "This way."

Sokka dropped his fireball. "That would've been useful to know sooner," he whispered. None of them went into the passage.

"Find them!" A distant voice yelled.

"Time is running out. Quickly!" Their sage ushered. The three of them shared a look. They nodded and entered the passage. The sage shut the door behind them.

-

Sokka walked at the back of the group. He held his hand up high with a small fire ball lighting their path. The fire sage did the same at the front of their group. "Avatar Roku once called this temple his home," the sage explained. "He formed these secret passages out of the magma."

"Did you know Avatar Roku?" Aang asked.

"No, but my grandfather knew him. Many generations of fire sages guarded this temple before me. We all have a strong spiritual connection to this place."

"Is that how you knew I was coming?"

"A few weeks ago an amazing thing occurred," the sage said, leading them along a path with magma flowing down one side. "The statue of Avatar Roku, it's eyes began to glow."

"That's when we we're at the air temple," Katara realised. "Avatar Roku's eyes were glowing there too." The magma and flickering fire bathed everything in a red light. The red glow unnerved Sokka.

"At that moment," the sage said. "We knew you had returned to the world."

"If this is the Avatar's temple," Aang said. "Why did the sages attack me?"

"Things have changed. In the past the sages were loyal only to the Avatar," the sage said as they moved into a wider passage. "When Roku died, the sages waited for the next Avatar to return, but he never came."

"They were waiting for me."

Sokka walked up next to Aang and rested the hand not holding up fire on his shoulder. "Hey don't feel bad," he said. "You're only a hundred years late." Aang scowled at him.

"They lost hope that the Avatar would ever return," the sage said as he turned towards them. "When Fire Lord Sozin began the war, my grandfather and the other sages were forced to follow him"

-

"Shyu, what's wrong?" Aang asked as they came up to a pair of massive doors.

"The sanctuary doors," the sage said, his clenched fists shaking. "They're closed!"Aang ran forward and tried to prise them open.

"Can't you open them with firebending?" Katara asked, turning to Shyu. "Like you opened that other door?"

"No, only a fully realised Avatar is powerful enough to open this door alone."

"What if I helped?" Sokka asked from where he leant against the wall.

Shyu shook his head. "We would need five firebenders," he explained. "To open this door it would take all of the Sages doing five simultaneous fire blasts."

"Five fire blasts huh?" Sokka paused for thought. He glanced up at the lamp on the wall. "I think I can help you out."

-

The bombs were in place in the doors and Sokka stood next to Shyu. He took a deep breath in. One. Two Three. Four. Five. And then on the exhale he and Shyu blasted fire at the cords from the side. They hoped that the two blasts lighting the fuses would be enough to set the bombs off with enough force. 

"Take cover!" Sokka yelled ss they all dove for the coloums. Sokka gripped onto his sisters skirt as he skidded on his knees behind the pillar. The blasts went off. Smoke filled the room.

"Go Aang!"

Aang sprinted for the doors. He stopped. The smoke drifted. The doors were closed. "It didn't work."

"I don't understand," Sokka said. He walked up to the doors and ran his finger down the sooty residue under one of the openings. "That should have worked."

"You're right Aang," Katara said suddenly as Momo crawled into one of the pipes. "Sokka's plan didn't work." They all gave her confused looks. "But it looks like it did."

-

They were chained to a pillar with Shyu, across from them was Zuko. Also chained down. Aang was inside the sanctuary. "How's Aang going to get out of this one?" Katara asked.

"How are we getting out of this?" Sokka felt his voice break as he yelled that. He couldn't help it if he was panicking. He would try to heat the chains but he was pretty sure that would just mean they were tied with hot chains. Seen as Zuko and Shyu weren't heating them, Sokka decided that he'd come to the right conclusion.

Then the sanctuary doors opened and out stepped- Roku? Everything was a blur then. Zuko sprinted off. Roku brought the building down. Aang collapsed. They barely got away from this one.

"No more side quests," Sokka decided as they flew away, as fast as Appa could take them. Katara made her way across the saddle and hugged Aang. Sokka joined her. Momo hopped onto Aang's shoulder, chattering as he curled up. Appa growled and they flew on.


	10. The Waterbending Scroll

They had been flying all night. Katara had taken the reigns as soon as Aang pushed away from the group hug. Sokka had sat against the front edge of the saddle and watched Aang. The monk had paced back and forth across the saddle so frequently that he had probably walked the equivalent of the entire Earth Kingdom. Currently he was sat in a meditative pose

The scowl on his face showed he was failing.

Katara yawned and leant back. "I'll take over," Sokka told her. "The moon set three hours ago and the sun's about to rise."

"You haven't slept," Katara insisted. "I'm fine."

"Katara you're falling asleep," Sokka pointed out. His sister blinked hard and rubbed at her eyes. "I won't be able to sleep until sunset anyway, go on have a nap."

"If you're sure." They did some awkward shuffling until Sokka was soundly sat between Appa's horns and Katara was at the back of the saddle, curled against their sleeping bags.

Aang threw himself back onto his feet and started pacing again. Sokka ignored him for a minute but then they started to approach some bad weather fronts. Appa growled. "Will you sit down!" He yelled at Aang. "I can feel thermal currents up ahead and if we hit one of those you're gonna go flying!"

Aang didn't stop pacing. "What am I gonna do?" He exclaimed, flinging his arms around wildly. The air currents around him matched his flailing. "Roku said I have to master all 4 elements before the end of summer!"

"You've already mastered air and that only took you 112 years," Sokka joked. "I'm sure you could master the other three by the end of next summer."

"Oh and who are you to talk," Katara snapped at him. "You can't even keep from setting yourself on fire!"

"Guys!" Aang yelled. "You arguing is not helping me learn the elements!"

"Sorry Aang," Katara said as she gently lead him to kneel in front of her. "We're all tired and need to calm down. It's going to be okay."

"How is it?" Aang said, his voice almost lost in the wind. "Sokka's right. I'm not gonna be able to learn the elements in time."

Katara took both of his hands on hers. "If you want, I can teach you what I know."

"That'd be great," Aang said, sounding more like his usual self. 

"But to waterbend we need water."

"Alright," Sokka said, tugging on Appa's reigns. "We'll keep heading north but on the way we'll find a puddle for you two to splash in."

"Hey Sokka maybe you could help me learn to firebend on the way!"

"That's not happening."

-

When they landed a couple hours later, Sokka looked up at the waterfall and said "Nice puddle." Appa leapt into the water the second his saddle was removed. The wave that swept towards them drenched Sokka. Instantly, steam rose from Sokka's shoulders and hair. Aang laughed.

"Wait for me boy!" He called, pulling his robes off.

Katara stopped him. "Don't forget why we're here."

"Oh right," Aang said as he pulled his clothes back on. "Time to practice waterbending."

"Great so what am I supposed to do?"

"You could clean the gunk out of Appa's toes," Aang suggested as he held a stick out to Sokka.

"So while you guys are playing in the water I'm gonna be picking mud out of a giant bisons feet?" Sokka asked as he crossed his arms.

"Mud and bugs," Aang agreed with a smile.

"Okay." Sokka took the stick and shrugged. As he picked at Appa's toes with the end that still had leaves the big guy growled and rolled onto his back. "Yeah, don't get too happy you've gotta do me next." Appa growled again and Sokka took that as agreement.

Sokka was 4 feet in when a giant wave washed towards him and sent him down stream. He grabbed hold of a rock and watched in dismay as their belongings floated down stream. As Sokka turned back towards the two waterbenders he grumbled. "That's enough practicing for today."

"Yeah, I'll say," Sokka agreed as he pulled himself onto the bank. Steam rose from his clothes. "You just practiced our supplies down the river."

-

The market they found wasn't exactly the most savory of places and Sokka couldn't help but feel eyes tracking them. He kept his club close at hand and kept reaching back for his boomerang to make sure it was still there. Aang didn't seem to see the danger in the place. Which is how they found themselves running from pirates. Or at least Sokka thought Aang was the reason they were running from pirates.

As they ran Aang and Katara used various water and airbending moves to slow the pirates down. When they were cornered Sokka threw a fireball at one of them. Aang swept has staff out in front of him and created a dust cloud. He started running and yelled "Grab on tight!" As he spread his glider and leapt into the air. Sokka and Katara grabbed hold and the flew towards the pirates.

"Aang," Katara yelled. "I thought we were running away from the pirates?"

"Just hang on!"

They both screamed as they rose higher. Sokka kicked one of the pirates in the face.

"You stole their waterbending scroll!" Sokka accused his sister once they landed back at the river. Sokka guessed he was wrong about it being Aang's fault.

-

When Katara whipped herself in the forehead Sokka couldn't help but laugh. 

"What's so funny?" She asked as she turned ever so slightly towards him.

"I'm sorry but you deserved that," Sokka told her. "You've made fun of me for bending mistakes so this is only fair."

Katara's face contorted further and she blew air out of her nose. Sokka imitated her face and blew smoke from his. "You've been duped," he told Aang. "She's only interested in teaching herself."

-

When Sokka woke at sunrise, Katara was gone. "Where did she go?" He exclaimed as he crawled from his sleeping bag. He rifled through his bag but found only the supplies he had purchased yesterday. "I don't believe it!"

Aang yawned and sat up. "What's wrong? It's barely even morning?" He said as he rubbed his eyes.

"She took the scroll," Sokka said, gesturing to the bag with both hands. "It's just a matter of time before she gets us all in deep-" Rope wrapped around Sokka's wrists and yanked him forward.

The pirates had found them.

Sokka rolled over and grabbed him club. With the other hand he tried to create a fire dagger. This time a jet of unstable flame flashed before dissolving into the more familiar ball. Sokka didn't think too hard about his next move he yelled as he cahrged for the pirate that had dragged him. He threw the fire ball. The guy dodged it. Sokka swung his club. The guy caught his arm and pushed him to the ground.

"I got him come on!" Yelled another pirate Sokka hadn't seen. This guy had Aang in a net. The two pirates ran off into the woods, dragging Aang behind them.

"What I'm not good enough to kidnap?" A net came flying at him. He should've expected that.

-

When the fight broke out Sokka set his ropes on fire and tried very hard to keep that fire from burning anything that wasn't rope. "Yes!" He exclaimed as the rope split. "Oh man." They were immediately surrounded by pirates. At least the pointy parts of their weapons were facing the Fire Nation soldiers instead of them.

Sokka pulled his boomerang from his back and kept a ball of fire burning in his free hand.

Surrounded by smoke and dust, Sokka staged low to the ground as he made his way between the clashing Fire Nation and pirates. "Aang are you there?" He yelled.

"I'm over here follow my voice!" Aang's voice came back, barely audible over the sounds of metal hitting metal.

"Where I can't find you?" Sokka through a fire ball blindly.

"Over here!" There was a whooshing sound. "Never mind I'll find you!"

Sokka crawled out of the smoke and bumped into a teenage girl with a sword. Before either he or she could really react to this, Aang bounced out of the smoke yelling "RUN!" 

The girl pulled him to his feet and the three of them sprinted towards Katara, who was pushing the pirate's ship into the water.

-

Sokka found himself hitting the deck face first before he was even aware of the pirates bring on the ship. He looked up and found himself face to face with the girl from before. She held a hand out to him. He took it and she nudged her head towards a pirate. He grinned and she leant back. He used her as leveragd to throw himself at the pirate and knock him overboard.

"Have you lost your mind?" He yelled at Aang. "This is no time for flute practice!"

-

When they landed on Appa's saddle, Sokka's pants were on fire. Again. He patted it out before Katara could notice. That was when he remembered the girl. "Uncle this is yours!" She yelled before throwing something towards the ground.

Sokka starred at this very obviously fire nation girl. "Did we just kidnap someone?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Should I just add the zukka tag to this now or leave it as zukka endgame cause technically no one knows who Izumi is


End file.
